Ah, how I have come to love that sense of accomplishment and victory that I get when I pull the wool over the eyes of a clever player character. What DM Triumphs have you had?

Some of mine:1. Finally killing an incredibly powerful, lucky, annoying player's character.2. Finally achieving a TPK (Total Party Kill)3. Finally achieving a TPK using only traps4. Finally working out how to make it so that d**n wizard doesn't steal the spotlight all the d**n time.

Ah, how I have come to love that sense of accomplishment and victory that I get when I pull the wool over the eyes of a clever player character. What DM Triumphs have you had?

Some of mine:1. Finally killing an incredibly powerful, lucky, annoying player's character.2. Finally achieving a TPK (Total Party Kill)3. Finally achieving a TPK using only traps4. Finally working out how to make it so that d**n wizard doesn't steal the spotlight all the d**n time.

Smoothing out her short denim skirt Kate stepped out of the bathroom briefly lost in thought, the last few lines of the rock song "Danger Zone" still stuck in her head. Too many miles and too much caffeine, it played hell on the kidneys; especially when you were only 19 years old. Still better to be alert then be caught with your dress... Up? She froze briefly, noticing the State troopers standing uncomfortably near one of the bar tables, shotguns still clenched white knuckle tight, their eyes fixing on her with an accusatory stare as the ladies room door squeaked in protest at her exit.

Suddenly she was acutely conscious of the weight of her Sig P226 pistol in its shoulder holster under her leather jacket, all the excuse the patrol men would need, (if they noticed its print through her jacket) to ask a whole lot of questions she'd rather not answer.

The earlier conversation she'd overheard had made her think a detective was hot on the trail of some nut job with her trigger happy partner, and in the mood to grill some army drop outs; nothing to indicate this kind of police presence.

Taking a deep breath Kate smiled disarmingly, making her way back to the half empty coffee cup at the end of the bar, pausing when she saw the .44 magnum laying unattended. "Say, is that the house special?" While the lame joke probably wasn't going to impress the pork patrol, it would at least help to redirect their attention.

Ah, how I have come to love that sense of accomplishment and victory that I get when I pull the wool over the eyes of a clever player character. What DM Triumphs have you had?

Some of mine:1. Finally killing an incredibly powerful, lucky, annoying player's character.2. Finally achieving a TPK (Total Party Kill)3. Finally achieving a TPK using only traps4. Finally working out how to make it so that d**n wizard doesn't steal the spotlight all the d**n time.

"First thing I'd do is give Corporal Conway here a promotion. He's the only d**n one of them that was ready to kill me if he needed to, and ready to let me go if I wasn't a threat." He lifted the nearly dead cigarette from his lips, smashing it into the ashtray, now that he wasn't gonna need it. "Third thing depends on his file, but the goal would be the motives. That little trinket makes it weird ass s**t. Hell, could be some wierd-ass rag-head voodoo for all we know. Maybe you better wrap him in bandaids and build a pyramid of beer cans over him."

Frank shrugged, as he continued, "I sighted in about a week ago, and got that kid faster than he could manage to haul out his little zip gun. Should be close to clean."

Oh, look, a little kid in the toilet. Nice looking, but looked like she was young enough to be his daughter. Maybe his granddaughter if he raised a daughter or a son REAL bad. Packing, he noticed, but he wasn't about to say anything about it. Second Amendment said that was her business, at least until she pulled it out.

"Oh, yeah, and the second thing... Double check the bounty, and make sure its worth it." He smiled something almost close to saccharine. "You have my file, you know what I did, you know what I do."

Kate flinched slightly at the sudden explosion of anger from the woman, smiling inwardly at the dressing down the troopers received, relived no one had noticed her sidearm. At least for now they weren't about to interrogate her. Beg her for a date? Maybe, but she doubted it'd be this night with mother hawk eying their every move.

Her attention refocused as she realized the woman was speaking to her in a tone that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Sweetie, the way she said it made it sound everything but. She opened her mouth to reply as the woman cut her off with a curse, seeming to dismiss her as little more then some tavern wench.

The hulking brute though, his gaze hung on her a fraction of a second too long. Was he part of them? Sent after her to make sure she remained quiet? Nope, not with him mentioning a bounty, those guys wouldn't bother with a bounty hunter, way too above board for their style.

Some type of cop a bounty hunter and some veteran soldier, just the kinds of people she should be hanging around to make her less of a target, assuming of course they didn't ask too many questions. She was already an arson suspect, and by now they'd probably turned it up a notch to include prime suspect in the murder of her former girlfriend. Still, they seemed more worried about some stiff with a museum artifact in his gut and relying on an eyewitness account from a farmer with night vision goggles?

Night vision, she remembered her (now deceased) lover Rachel used to talk about using them in the Army Reserve and all the different types there were. She said a good pair cost more then a used sport car, there was no way a hayseed farmer would have a decent set. Time to make a more favorable second impression on the queen &^%$@, especially since one of the staties looked about ready to frisk her.

She shook a tangle of auburn hair from her eyes and slowly stood up, approaching the group at the table with the measured, yet graceful walk of a trained fighter, casually folding her arms, letting her right hand rest closer to the her handgun, just in case. Looking the woman straight in the eye, her expression tired and still a little annoyed at being dismissed so off handedly, she began to speak with a quiet confidence the belied her youthful appearance.

"To answer your question I heard most of your chat, some dead guy shot in the head that swallowed some bling, and a red neck farmer who claims he saw a Mustang through night vision goggles?" Kate let her tone change lightly during the last of her statement to reflect her skepticism of about the farmer, hurrying to continue before she could be interrupted and told to clear out or be taken down town.

"I just thought I'd point out your farmer witness is full of it, unless he's selling more then potatoes there's no way he could afford 3rd or 4th gen night vision goggles, they cost close to 7 grand. Which means he'd be using a first or second gen set, and crap like that wouldn't give him a clear view of a moving object, especially not at a distance of more then a couple hundred yards."

Perhaps getting involved wasn't the wisest move, but she'd never been much of a wallflower, and the loneliness of the last few days made even this unwelcoming bunch seem appealing compared to the continued isolation of the road.

"Agent Froelich, I am left with the overwhelming opinion that this is your first job in the field, how long have you been out of Langley?" Cutter asked, giving the new girl a look. She was certainly pretty enough for a picture but she wasn't his type. She looked like the high maintenance sort, the kind that dated athletes orhad sugar daddies. Cutter's kind of woman was a bit older and wiser in the sack, a big thicker around the middle, and probably a lot more forgiving of a man who held down two part times jobs, hustling shopping carts at the Save-A-Lot and manning the course at Murray's Firearms and Pistols.

"Can you imagine what might have happens if I was special forces, or this fellow here was one of Hell's Angels? Chaos and pandamonium." Cutter said.

"Unless you are buying the next round, and I don't like white Zinfandel, how about we stop dancing and joking. My old CO's son is dead, you've got Old MacDonald going GI Joe and pointing fingers, and it seems to me you haven't watched a single episode of the X Files. You want my help and cooperation, well I would be a s**tty pal if I let my CO's boy unavenged. I don't know anything about Babylon other than it is a miserable hot piece of Hell with a busted statue of Huissen in front of it. Two rounds in the head is execution, Soprano style.

Instead of giving us the hustle let's go find out what Farmer Joe is up to, since this might be your first case and all. Don't you FBI types work in pairs?"

"You know", she looked from trooper to trooper, "I think I liked it better when we had shotguns pointing at them. They were better behaved."

She pauses.

"Lets go see what Farmer Joe is up to?" (looking at Cutter and repeating his phrase) "What are you, Velma from Scooby-Do?"

She then directs her attention toward Kate, "And Nancy Drew here, is an expert on night-vision goggles. You can't make this stuff up" She shook her head in disbelief and mock exasperation.

"Though you may have a point there, kid" She added, giving the young Kate another once-over, as if admitting to having slightly underestimated her.

"And here we have---who do we have here, Conway?" She asked the trooper, gesturing toward Frank.

The trooper was ready for his one liner

"Oscar the Grouch"

"Yes! Good Conway! We have Scooby-Do, Nancy Drew, and Oscar the Grouch. A crime-fighting trio, if ever there was one."

Pause. She was done with her witty comebacks now and grew serious.

To Cutter"If you must know, this is my second field gig", she became more sedate now, "And believe it or not, my partner is laid out with a severe flu. Nebraska sucks.

To Kate"Like I said, you make a good point. But the farmer was a lot closer than a few hundred yards. He said the mustang tore ass a mere 80 yards from where he was standing on his porch. He's 84 for crying out loud. I don't think of him as a suspect.

To Frank"Alright. Ok, tough guy, have it your way. But tell me this", she grew serious, "You know of any ex-military or para-military "gangs" operating out of the mid-west? Anything like that?"

She suddenly rose from the table.

"Forget the residue test. We're out of here. Have a case to solve. Wasting time."

"You want to go talk to a farmer, be my guest. You learn anything, anything at all, you let me know..." she trailed off and dropped 3 business cards on the table.

"Lets go" she said to the troopers, and just like that, they were gone.

------------------------------------------------

The old bartender popped his head back up. "I suppose you'll all need rooms", he grinned, nicotine-stained teeth exposed. "Its 2am."

Ah, how I have come to love that sense of accomplishment and victory that I get when I pull the wool over the eyes of a clever player character. What DM Triumphs have you had?

Some of mine:1. Finally killing an incredibly powerful, lucky, annoying player's character.2. Finally achieving a TPK (Total Party Kill)3. Finally achieving a TPK using only traps4. Finally working out how to make it so that d**n wizard doesn't steal the spotlight all the d**n time.

Ah, how I have come to love that sense of accomplishment and victory that I get when I pull the wool over the eyes of a clever player character. What DM Triumphs have you had?

Some of mine:1. Finally killing an incredibly powerful, lucky, annoying player's character.2. Finally achieving a TPK (Total Party Kill)3. Finally achieving a TPK using only traps4. Finally working out how to make it so that d**n wizard doesn't steal the spotlight all the d**n time.

I appreciate the offer, but I've got a sleeping bag in my camper that probably has fewer blood and other stains in it than a bed here, and I've got my bullpup to keep me safe and warm," Cutter said. He grabbed his .44 and dropped a $10 on the bar. "I think the agent lady needs to get laid, might help her composure."

Kate felt her lips spasm in the twitch of a smile at the queen &^%$@es attempt at humor, knowing better then to antagonize her further given she still seemed to be in the mood to make an example of someone. Less people, good in that the two remaining guys probably wouldn't ask too many pointed questions, bad in that there was far fewer warm bodies to keep Ozil occupied while she tried to take him down, or get away for good, if indeed that was him she saw at the rest stop back in Pennsylvania.

The bartenders sudden reappearance startled Kate, her pistol half drawn before she got control of herself, and shoved it angrily back in the holster, grateful the angle she was standing at made it look more like a surprised reaction from the barkeeps point of view. "I-I'll think about it." She told him hesitantly, raising her voice to make it carry the distance as she collected one of the business cards the agent had left on the table.

Slipping the card into her blouse pocket she crossed bar to stand next to Cutter, fixing him with a piercing stare and giving her best no bulls**t look, speaking in a low voice. "I heard them talk about you being in the military, you must know there's no way the farmer would have been able to make out a fast moving car at 80 yards as anything other then a green blur as it drove past him, not even that if it had its headlights on and he got an eye full." She paused for a moment letting it sink in before continuing. "Whatever he saw, the truth of it might help you find the person who killed your friends son."

She flashed him a disarming smile, leaning on the bar a little as she did so. "I couldn't help but over hear things earlier, the walls to the ladies room are thinner then that sweaty troopers hairline." Reaching in her jacket she fished around for a moment and withdrew a crumpled $20 and slid it towards the barkeep before looking back at Cutter with a questioning glance, tilting her head just slightly.

Cutter though about her offer for a minute before declining. "Maybe another time, it's late and I need more sleep than anything else. I have a feeling Velma isn't going to be meeting up with the rest of the gang this week. weird s**t going on here and what the hell does the FBI care about museum crap anyway?"

With that Cutter took himself out to his truck to get some sleep before harassing some old farmer in the morning. Part of him wondered if he had made a mistake turnig down the brunette before passing out.

Frank grunted, relatively comittedly, at the prospect of a room. Bedbugs weren't so bad when it came to sleeping companions. They were polite, and rarely carried any sort of real diseases. Fleas and ticks, on the other hand...

"Gonna make some phone calls in the morning. I want to know what's going on, or if this guy is even actually dead. I suggest you don't go too far till I make those calls, friend. If people are laying traps for an Army MP or a rank and file Marine, that's one thing. If they laid one for a Ranger, that's another."

Someone had aimed that woman at him, clean and clear. Why and who were questions that would be involved in that murder. Sometimes, he supposed, you had to sniff out the bait and trigger the trap, in order to ambush the traplayer.

Ah, how I have come to love that sense of accomplishment and victory that I get when I pull the wool over the eyes of a clever player character. What DM Triumphs have you had?

Some of mine:1. Finally killing an incredibly powerful, lucky, annoying player's character.2. Finally achieving a TPK (Total Party Kill)3. Finally achieving a TPK using only traps4. Finally working out how to make it so that d**n wizard doesn't steal the spotlight all the d**n time.

Cutter tucked in for the night, or what remained of it. the mass of the P90 was reassuring. Ronnie was a ranger, and those guys were no joke, but sometimes it made them cocky, arrogant. there were a few rangers in Iraq who bought it because they thought they were superman, too bad bullets were their secret weakness. Paranoia, being overly prepared and according to the specialist borderline PTSD made a person cautious even when they couldn't keep their d**ned mouth shut.

The truck had a dead man switch, can't steal a trick that has no power and automatics don't roll start. The camper locked as well, from he inside, bear proof according to the guy at the sporting goods store. Not that there were a lot of bears in LA, aka Lower Alabama. The guns, well that was his inner marine showing out. The pistols were fun and the P90 was accurate and had stopping power and even a one armed man could shoulder it and fire it.

He shoved a pair of fishing reels over, kicked his feet up on a tackle box with spin jigs and two magazines in it (Field and Stream, and Playboy) and went to sleep.

Kate faintly nodded in understanding at the reference to sleep, the last few days had been anything but restful, and her latest caffeine infusion had just about worn off. A room? The concept of an actual bed sounded sorely tempting, but the thought of Ozil catching her asleep in a grungy room with no where to run made her shudder. Her car? the back seat of the Cuda was pretty comfortable, she'd spent more then a few nights there recently, but still just as much a death trap if Ozil saw her napping.

Cutter mentioned a truck with a camper, which meant he'd be in back, probably sound asleep by now with how tired he sounded. Perfect. "See you around." She uttered the sentence almost to herself as she collected her change from the bartenders sweaty hand and swiftly departed the bar.

The cool night air felt refreshing on Kate's bare skin, raising faint goosebumps as she quietly crept towards the truck, grateful the parking lot was so deserted. Softly she tested the passenger side door to Cutters pickup. Locked. Not really surprising given the man was ex-military. Letting out a soft sigh of exasperation Kate retrieved a blanket and lock jimmy from her car, quietly popping the trucks aged lock seconds later.

"Growing up in the Bronx does have a few advantages I guess." Kate thought quietly to herself, slipping inside the cab and softly closing the door behind her, spending an extra second to ensure it was securely locked. After setting her wrist watch to wake her at 6am sharp, she closed her eyes and let herself fall into a restless sleep, silently praying Volchenko was a few hundred miles away driving in the opposite direction.

Ah, how I have come to love that sense of accomplishment and victory that I get when I pull the wool over the eyes of a clever player character. What DM Triumphs have you had?

Some of mine:1. Finally killing an incredibly powerful, lucky, annoying player's character.2. Finally achieving a TPK (Total Party Kill)3. Finally achieving a TPK using only traps4. Finally working out how to make it so that d**n wizard doesn't steal the spotlight all the d**n time.

Another guest, he thought. This just became his busiest night of the year.

The door opens and two large gentlemen enter. Old man nods his head in greeting. Men nod back.

Some small talk ensues.

Keys exchanged for money.

“Rollins around?”“Which one?” says the bartender.“All of them”, the man speaking has a Mediterranean accent.“They uhh--have a—place, 12 miles north of here. Haven’t seen them in a while”“You see ‘em before we do, you tell ‘em the Agnello brothers are here from Vegas to see ‘em.”“Ok”

Ah, how I have come to love that sense of accomplishment and victory that I get when I pull the wool over the eyes of a clever player character. What DM Triumphs have you had?

Some of mine:1. Finally killing an incredibly powerful, lucky, annoying player's character.2. Finally achieving a TPK (Total Party Kill)3. Finally achieving a TPK using only traps4. Finally working out how to make it so that d**n wizard doesn't steal the spotlight all the d**n time.

Frank always knew what time it was somehow. Never wore a watch. Just knew. A clock in his gut. Army shrink tried to rationilze it once, decade back. Tried to explain it. Couldn't. Sounded stupid trying. Frank just always knew the time. Why ask why.

3 AM Still wide awake. Thinking. Can't help it. Something about the army and babylon, buzzing in head.3:25 AMHeard some motel guests, heavy ones, go up the stairs and into a room down the hall.Had a dream.State troopers with shotguns running up and down ziggurats. A river of coffee. Bacon monsters.No.Wait. Not Bacon monsters. Not a dream.Smell bacon frying. Downstairs. Old man can't sleep either it seems.

Ah, how I have come to love that sense of accomplishment and victory that I get when I pull the wool over the eyes of a clever player character. What DM Triumphs have you had?

Some of mine:1. Finally killing an incredibly powerful, lucky, annoying player's character.2. Finally achieving a TPK (Total Party Kill)3. Finally achieving a TPK using only traps4. Finally working out how to make it so that d**n wizard doesn't steal the spotlight all the d**n time.

Kate turned over for what felt the hundredth time, the rogue spring still managing to dig uncomfortably into her side. Besides that she had to pee. Again. "Teach me to mix caffeine tablets and coffee" she thought angrily, sitting up and quietly opening the passenger side door, glancing up at the moon as she carefully eased herself from the vehicle.

For a moment Kate felt the lazy temptation to squat next to the tuck and relive herself, the lack of anything to wipe with after making her discard the idea a fraction of a second later. Hell with it, might as well head in and use the ladies room for what must be the twentieth time tonight. At least it was cleaner then other dives she'd frequented in her past, probably because they didn't get many female visitors this far out in the middle of nowhere. Pausing briefly to adjust her Sig in its holster she stepped into the bar once more.

Ah, how I have come to love that sense of accomplishment and victory that I get when I pull the wool over the eyes of a clever player character. What DM Triumphs have you had?

Some of mine:1. Finally killing an incredibly powerful, lucky, annoying player's character.2. Finally achieving a TPK (Total Party Kill)3. Finally achieving a TPK using only traps4. Finally working out how to make it so that d**n wizard doesn't steal the spotlight all the d**n time.

Bacon monsters were easy to put down. Frying pan to the ass usually did the trick. Bacon was even easier. Frank knew that, too. Let it cool down enough to touch it, then eat it like mad. Dream meant time had passed. Split second to check it in his mind. After a moment to check his SIG was in place he stood, flexed his arms, his wrists. Just enough to loosen his body, in case it was needed. Leather coat. Double check the SIG. Check the Beretta.

Downstairs. Check the situation. Listen first, before looking. Don't scare the bejeezus out of the old man, he might have a heart attack.

The truck rocked and Cutter heard the crunch of gravel. A dozen thoughts ran through his head, bear! T-72, thieves, and then he shook the sleep off of his head/ in a few months, dear season, he would be getting up about this time to head out to the deer lease. Instead of a fat buck, there was an intruder in the cab of the truck and a fat Benz parked a space and a half away from him. Black, they were all black, the unimaginative bastards. The only people wo drove those kinda of cars were German officers, gangsters, or CEOs with state sized hemmorrhoids.

Cute vanity plate, he wrote it down as a gesture for granny panties Froelich. Undoubtedly she would have a rookie point a shotgun at him and ask him about suspicious automobiles in Nebraska. The truck jostled again.

He waited, then got out. Walked to the bar. Opened door.

"Look it's bad enough you broke into my truck hot lips, bit at least be the f*** still or get out for christs sake."

Ah, how I have come to love that sense of accomplishment and victory that I get when I pull the wool over the eyes of a clever player character. What DM Triumphs have you had?

Some of mine:1. Finally killing an incredibly powerful, lucky, annoying player's character.2. Finally achieving a TPK (Total Party Kill)3. Finally achieving a TPK using only traps4. Finally working out how to make it so that d**n wizard doesn't steal the spotlight all the d**n time.